A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Who is A. P. J. Abdul Kalam?

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, into a modest Muslim family. Trained as an aerospace engineer, he worked for decades at India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He played a leading role in developing India's satellite launch vehicle programme and its ballistic missile projects, earning the popular title 'Missile Man of India.' He was a key figure in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. In 2002 he was elected the eleventh President of India, serving a single term until 2007 and becoming widely admired as the 'People's President' for his accessibility and his focus on inspiring young people. After leaving office he devoted himself to teaching and to a national vision of development he outlined in his book India 2020. He collapsed and died while delivering a lecture at IIM Shillong in 2015.

Sources: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari, Wings of Fire: An Autobiography, 1999 · A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Y. S. Rajan, India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, 1998 · Bharat Ratna citation, Government of India, 1997